BY BRIAN ROTH

We are now down to the final four teams in Class 5A baseball and Rocky Mountain is in control. Not that it should surprise anyone. This is familiar territory for the two-time defending champions. Click for the rest of the story....

The Arbiter: With the 5A Championship Series now set, what are your thoughts on the field and who will be crowned come May 16th?

Brian Roth: It was interesting to see 6 of the 8 top seeds making it out of 5A Districts. And really, there was only one upset. Click for the rest of the story.....

BY BRIAN ROTH

Yes, CET Sports has Rocky Mountain at number one in our latest poll. After all, they are the two-time defending champions and are loaded once again. But, not until you have seen the Lobos in person do you really understand just how good they are. Click for the rest of the story....

BY BRIAN ROTH

Well, here we are. Mid-April and it is still tough to which 8 teams are favorites to make it to the 5A Championship Series. Part of that is because of the single elimation district tournament format. Any team is vulnerable in that situation....just ask Highlands Ranch (2007), Cherry Creek (2006) or Bear Creek (2005). All teams who breezed thru the regular season and were clear favorites - but were upset in a single elimination game. Click for the rest of the story

BY BRIAN ROTH

The Centennial League had a down year in the sport of basketball. Doesn't happen often, but that was the case this past winter. Enter Springtime and the league's baseball coaches wish they could say the same for their sport. The top of this league is absolutlely loaded with quality teams, stocked with Division I talent. The addition of Cherokee Trail (moved up from 4A , where they won a state championship in 2007) and Arapahoe (played in the Continential League last year) have only solidified the brawn of the Centennail. The shame in all of this? The league only gets 4 playoff bids, meaning 2 of the top 6 teams, all of whom are good, will be lamenting their season on April 27th. Click for the rest of the story....

by Marty Cesario

You know what's funny? I get paid to put kids and coaches on TV-- which is very cool. But I almost get as much out of the off-camera contact with those people, their families, their friends, their fans... I guess it's the fresh and unexpected perspective of meeting again with no ball, no mic, no game face, no make-up... away from the gym or the field. Admittedly, there's probably some "Daddy" or "Buddy" issues involved here, but we don't wanna get all Freudian do we? Dude. Whatever. My point is that I like the "community" vibe I feel when I run into people on the street-- especially when it brings good news about players we've formerly featured. Some recent examples:  Click for the rest of the story....

by Marty Cesario

The end of a basketball season always sets off a subconscious bell in my head. (Spring Break!!!)

(Just kidding.)

It reminds me there's only a couple months left on the school calendar and if I wanna do some very special people right... I better get on it.   Click for the rest of the story....

Ladies play to record crowds. Regis, Broomfield are c-h-a-m-p-s! (3/15/09)

by Mary Kay Mauro  

Great atmosphere Friday night . . . a boat load of people (and then some) came out to watch heavily favored and undefeated Broomfield take on the upset-minded Mullen Mustangs in the 4A game before a record crowd of 7,420. It was a dog fight, marred with.....  Click for the rest of the story....

Scores and stats shipped in from Boulder by your CET Sports crew...   Click for the rest of the story....

Fairview. Best of all-time? CET squad on the Final 4 (3/11/09)

The Arbiter:     Would it be accurate to say the crowds at the Denver Coliseum were treated to many thrilling moments during the Great 8 Saturday? Collectively, you gentlemen witnessed all four of the Class 5A boys games. Care to share your reactions? 

Marty Cesario:     How's this sound? THUD. SPLASH. ROAR. I'm still visualizing Dave Arnold banking in that free throw with two seconds left. Wow! The ThunderRidge win over top seed, Eaglecrest, definitely produced the most exciting finish at our awesome old arena. We and the fans were going berzerk. Props to...  Click for the rest of the story....

G.W. toughs out another tight one to make Final 4 (3/7/09)

by MARTY CESARIO

Hangin' around George this week has compelled a need for throat lozenges and a donut for my rump. 

Two days ago, the Patriots' Sweet 16 win over Gateway went to the wire. While waiting for tonight's game, I watched ThunderRidge upset top seed, Eaglecrest, in a nail-biter. And whad'ya know? The Great 8 finale at the Denver Coliseum again had me screaming and yelling on the edge of my seat like the lunatic dads in the stands behind me.  Click for the rest of the story....

George is Great...  gets by Gateway with last surge (3/5/09)

by MARTY CESARIO

Hello! Good game. Expected an athletic and competitive run. Got it.

Throughout this Class 5A - Sweet 16 Man-Battle, the scored stayed tight. Points were hard to get in this one. Even for Patriots all-state big man, THOMAS BROPLEH, and Olympians stud, JOSH PLEASANT. There were a few mini-surges for both squads, but they were quickly countered. In the end, a final flurry of quick cuts for open lay-ups by...   Click for the rest of the story....

Boys blog continues. More title talkin' with CET airmen (3/4/09)

The Arbiter:     Now that the opening field of 48 teams has been scaled down to sixteen, would you gentlemen like to add to or retract any of your original statements regarding the 2009 Class 5A boys basketball tournament?

Brian Roth:     I want to start by saying congratulations to...  Click for the rest of the story....

Sweet 16 set for girls hoops... more thoughts from CET crew (3/2/09)

Marty Cesario:     A couple of five seeds took out a pair of 4's. Otherwise, it seems nothing too shocking occurred in the first week of the ladies 5A tournament. Am I right with that? Give us some thoughts now that the Sweet 16 has been settled?

Brian Roth:     So, the week of the Sweet 16 and the Great 8 is here and there are no surprises in the 5A girls state tournament. Sure, the two Fort Collins schools (Fort Collins and Rocky Mountain) were the only underdogs advancing, but they were both 5 seeds knocking off 4 seeds. Am I surprised about only 2 so-called upsets? No. Not sure if anyone is. I hate to say it, but...  Click for the rest of the story....

Third quarter burst propels Chatfield men into the Sweet 16 (2/28/09)

by MARTY CESARIO

A couple of gritty groups on the floor at Chatfield High tonight. I wrote gritty... not dirty. The referees let these boys bump and grind for two-and-a-half quarters without a whistle. At least, it seemed that way. But two critical infractions called out halfway through the third quarter inspired Chatfield to make their deciding move towards a trip to the Class 5A Sweet 16.  Click for the rest of the story....

Arapahoe seniors close Chatfield... advance to Sweet 16 (2/27/09)

by MARTY CESARIO

The Arapahoe girls don't have much in the post. Their coach, RON BURGIN, admits that. "So what!" would be my response. It's "The Movement" that inspires the Lady Warriors. And their record would back me up.

What Burgin does have is five senior starters who run, press, trap, move and win! Two of those ladies have started for Burgin's varsity squad for four seasons -- one of them a clear all-state candidate while the other is returning to active status at the perfect time.  Click for the rest of the story....

Legacy ladies hand the Hawks their first loss (2/20/09)

by MARTY CESARIO

Before the game, I asked Legacy coach, JAMIE CAREY, "Can you outrun Horizon?" She just gave me a look. Then I asked her if her squad could really go inside on the Lady Hawks. She quickly responded, "Why not?"   Click for the rest of the story....

This season's Hoop Queens? The CET crew picks the ladies champion.
(2/19/09)

Marty Cesario:     Hey guys, all our recent chatter about the boys' playoffs makes me want to... well, talk more hoops. So what's gonna go down in the ladies tournament? I check the records and our CET polls here on the site, but haven't seen many teams in action. You have. Who do think will win the Class 5A girls basketball title?

Mary Kay Mauro:     Excuse me . . . may I throw in my two cents?  Click for the rest of the story....

Talkin' title contenders... with CET announcers (2/18/09)

The Arbiter:     Let's see. We've got the undefeated boys from South Boulder; then there's the parochial school kids who've lost merely twice -- both to that team from Boulder; a pair of Springs schools with impressive seasons; a couple of Jeffco squads who are very new at the top of the 5A fraternity; a perennial power dominating a weaker Centennial; and a prep league group with just one loss which was handed to them by the two-time defending champs -- who are again streaking to the postseason. You gentlemen have spent three months in the gyms preparing us for the playoff season. Please share. Which team will take the Class 5A boys' basketball title? 

Brian Roth:     Well, at this point you have to say...  Click for the rest of the story....

East earns two tough wins over Montbello (2/14/09)

by MARTY CESARIO

Ah. Love and Basketball. What a great way to finish off our hoops weekend at Manual High! A Valentine's Day double-header in the Denver Prep League! With more than just city pride on the line.  Click for the rest of the story....

George "big" over T.J. at Thunderdome (2/13/09)

by MARTY CESARIO

Brevity would suit me well here. You, too. First, a hesitant grimace... and now I'll let 'er rip. 

T.J. misfired. Then George Washington pounded 'em.

Sorry. That's what stinks about brevity: It's cold-blooded at times... which is why I want to share some more.  Click for the rest of the story....

Arnold drives ThunderRidge past Heritage again (2/6/09)

by MARTY CESARIO

Love this type of match-up! The kind that requires a lot more than a quick glance at polls or standings to "get it." Because I don't mind geeking up on storylines, I'd done the research and knew this run would be entertaining.

A pair of proven programs. Two of the top five scorers in Class 5A. Two great coaches who are so familiar with each other they could swap jobs without skipping a beat. And... this was a rematch -- which is always tasty.  Click for the rest of the story....

Ralston ends perfect run by Green Mountain (2/4/09)

by BRIAN ROTH

Well, let's get this out of the way first.....if there was, or will be, a better atmosphere for high school basketball in the Metro area this winter, I will have to see it to believe it. All due respect to some of the great crowds we have already been lucky to be a part of (see Golden/D'Evelyn), but the spacious gymnasium at Green Mountain High School was filled to the rafters with high school hoops fans looking for a glimpse at two top-5 teams. Click for the rest of the story....

by MARTY CESARIO

A perfect atmosphere for our double-header at D'Evelyn High School. A jam-packed Jungle! With a huge showing of students and fans from both schools, the gym was standing-room only before the early 6:00pm start for the ladies. Even when our crew arrived 90 minutes before that first game tip, kids were already lined up and waiting for the gym doors to unlock. That patience and support payed off -- especially for Jaguars fans. Click for the rest of the story....

by MARTY CESARIO

Eddie. He asked. So we arrived. Then he delivered.

It's not uncommon for our staff to receive requests for coverage of sporting events. We follow through on some, but for many reasons we will never be able to honor all invitations. We couldn't ignore EDUARDO MACIAS, though. The Thornton senior worked us with all the right angles: we'd never been to THS; a North metro school with lengthy heritage deserved some love; they just just laid down 29,000 square feet of fresh hardwood; their hoops program was on the rise... (This guy's gonna end up fundraising for a future presidential campaign.) Click for the rest of the story....

by MARTY CESARIO

What's with the old-school nomenclature, right? Yep. I am aware a great percentage of those who bother clicking on these blog pages are high school students. You may be one of them. And you may be like, "What's a lunch pail? We have an open-campus and I drive over to Qdoba to chill between classes." Just roll with me on this one, please. I'm trying to do a good thing here. Click for rest of the story.....

Heavyweight Bout in Highlands Ranch (1/16/09)

by BRIAN ROTH

Another packed gymnasium, another clash between the two top girls basketball programs in the state of Colorado. And, yes, another win for Highlands Ranch. It was everything that could have been expected and perhaps a little more, as the Falcons continued their mastery of Regis with a thrilling 56-53 win. Click for the rest of the story....

by MARTY CESARIO

City vibe at Montbello High. Sure, I'll concede that Gateway is officially a member of the Continental League, but geography and character offer that this match-up is never just an ordinary non-conference rendezvous. These kids know each other too well. They cross paths on and off the court in the off-season. "So no secrets here, huh, Coach?" "None at all," confirmed Montbello coach DAVID CAREY. Click for the rest of the story....

Coaching Legends Clash at Regis (1/8/09) 

by BRIAN ROTH

It is always fun when you get two of the better teams in 5A matching up on the hardwood like we did on January 8th when Regis hosted Doherty at Guy Gibbs Gymnasium. But, that enjoyment increases when you have coaches with the pedigree of Ken Shaw and Dan McKiernan. Simply put, they are two of the best high school coaches the state of Colorado has ever seen. Click for the rest of the story...

by MARTY CESARIO

Two teams at a fork in the road. And both coaches knew it. Coronado's DAN HUGILL squad won their first 6 games this season. Meanwhile, J'ON ST. CLAIR and Rampart fired out of the gates with a 7-0 start. But both teams were now coming off losses to start play in the Springs Metro League. So what was it gonna be? Click for rest of the story.....

by MARTY CESARIO

In the previous two seasons, these two squads built an exciting new rivalry-- the kind that grows with success and competition. This pair of perennial twenty-win teams were now going to run for the fifth time in just over two years. Two-time 4A defending champion, Lincoln, had beaten Ralston Valley in 3 of 4 including wins in last season's semifinals and in the title game the previous year.Click for rest of the story....

by MARTY CESARIO

Both schools were still on holiday break. Each team just squeezed in practices the previous day. It was snowing in Jeffco. And the Hornets just logged two hours in a bus. Did any of that matter?
Click for the rest of the story...